Waterworks, Buxton, Derbyshire, October 2018

1. The History
The history about this place is rather scant, but then again, hardly surprising as itís a fairly small place in the grand scheme of things. Beautifully located in the Peak District in Derbyshire, just outside of Buxton, the pumping plant was built by The Buxton Council(?) Water Works (BCWW) in 1957 to service the now decommissioned Stanley Moor reservoir to the south-west. The two-storey building which has a yellow stone frontage and brick infill panels at the back has clearly been closed for some time.

Stanley Moor Reservoir was a small, rectangular, impounding structure, formed on three sides by earth embankments and founded partly on limestone and partly on millstone grits. The inside was lined with puddle clay with a protective layer of masonry pitching. The reservoirís principal feeds were two nearby streams, to the west and to the north. The flow was intercepted and directed through aqueducts to the intake chute, by the operation of ďleaping weirĒ sluices.

The reservoir had been built on a problematic geological fault-line. Its location where limestone and millstone grit met resulted in a high rate of leakage from the reservoir and despite the aforementioned clay lining. Despite investigations, the problem couldnít be rectified. In initially the water level was reduced by ten feet, and in 1946 the dam was breached in favour of a low-level weir channel reducing the capacity from 450,000 to 275,000 cubic metres. Itís unclear when the dam was decommissioned but when it was the water works would have then been surplus to requirements.

2. The Explore
This place has cropped up a few times this year. Itís a bit off-the-beaten-track in a beautiful location but pretty easy access. Despite this itís had its fair share of visits from several esteemed graff artists and the less-esteemed metal fairies have also paid this place a few visits too. Sadly, some idiots have smashed the place up a bit and lit small fires. Despite this itís well worth a visit and an hour of so of your time.

About us

DerelictPlaces is a forum for people with an interest in the history and documentation of disused, derelict and abandoned buildings to come together and share their experiences, photography and historical findings. Our military, industrial and historical heritage is fast disappearing under the pressure of regeneration, the need for new housing, and often through simple neglect; Our aim is to document these places before they disappear entirely.